This is why I never trust Yelp

[Dreamstalker]

I just heard from mom that the store got slammed badly on Yelp. Corp was in yesterday/this morning, etc. SM is trying to see whether he or Corp can contact the site to do anything about it.

So I looked up the review...it seems like the user (who lives in another town where there is already a store, why go out of your way to come to this one?) registered just to post it; the whole thing is just too well-written to me. He uses phrases like "most environmentally unfriendly produce possible" (and you know this how?) and claims that the fish/meat is "always spoiled" and wants the health department to investigate.

"The building is a simple concrete structure." It's a grocery store building from the seventies. So?

His "ideas" for the lot include:

The building should be bulldozed and tastefully re-designed. A 2-3 story building in it's place could be anchored by a great new grocery, and supplemented by other high quality shops, and some apartments without jamming the area with traffic (the area needs some more activity as it is). During redevelopment they could rent out their parking lot for farmer's markets to keep people coming to the area for food.

Mmkay, and are you going to pay for this? The town tried a multi-use building a few years ago, which failed. As for the farmer's market....the town already has one.

I have a feeling this loser either works at another store/chain or is just a nutball.

[Flying Grype]

I think Yelp has rules about reviews that are downright abusive, and they also definitely try to weed out lies (e.g. where someone's friends all get together and praise his business, or when a competitor trashes it).

Are there other reviews of the store or just that one?

[Dreamstalker]

The store has other reviews that are for the most part positive; this is the only flamboyantly bad one and like I said the timing of the user registration is suspect.

[BlaqueKatt]

wonder if it's an architect or developer trying to rake in some business....

[RealUnimportant]

Or someone trying to find a vacant lot to host their competing Farmer's Market?

[Merriweather]

He wants to raze the shop because the produce wasn't fresh enough? Geez. This guy must go after mosquitos with a bazooka.

[Pixilated]

wonder if it's an architect or developer trying to rake in some business....

Hmm, yeah, does sound like somebody with a very definite agenda of his/her own ...

He wants to raze the shop because the produce wasn't fresh enough? Geez. This guy must go after mosquitos with a bazooka.

[Dreamstalker]

That sounds like a few of the more 'speshul' high-and-mighty denizens of this town...there's an old car dealership building (technically a local historic landmark) in the main business district that someone wanted torn down completely rather than just renovated/redeveloped (come to think of it, during that discussion on boston.com the proponent of tearing it down was also championing another farmers market). The more I read that review, the clearer the crazy comes through.

ASM wanted to bring me in on how to handle it, but FEM put me on register so I never got a chance to talk (I think ASM wants to get me involved because I know more about online-review stuff than anyone else in the store).

What's exactly involved with getting a review looked at/removed? I don't think any of the managers have accounts on Yelp...

[Aria]

I wouldn't worry about this. I can only speak for myself but when I check out online reviews, a single negative never concerns me. Also, I check out the general tone of the review. This guy comes off as a bit of a fruitcake.